


Like the Ocean Waters

by Devairkus



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Injury, Loss of Parent(s), Missing Scene, Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:14:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26379394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devairkus/pseuds/Devairkus
Summary: This is where I'll be compiling my previously unpublished Abby/Owen narrative gap fics in chronological order so that you could either read them as a story or skip to whichever prompt you feel like. Each chapter will have a summary and rating at the top, I'll add more tags on this as I add more chapters.Newest Chapter:Chapter 2: How'd you get him to talk?Chapter Summary: Dr. Anderson asks Owen to help him sneak out, and Owen can't keep a secret.
Relationships: Abby/Owen (The Last of Us)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 29





	1. Things only you know

**Author's Note:**

> So I've been writing a couple more shortish Abby/Owen fics, most of them being a fill in the blank scenes for their story. I have a few ready to go and a few more ideas I really want to do, so I'll be updating this in the future. If I end up writing something that's from an earlier date chronologically than my last chapter, I'll reorder the fic chapters. The fic description will have the newest chapter name listed to avoid confusion when I update.  
> I'm also thinking of making another drabbles compilation for my Abby/Owen AU one-shots when I write a few more! I just find short little fics with scenes as a focus way less stressful than long ones with continuous stories.
> 
> Chapter Rating: T, mentions of violence, language, angst  
> Chapter Summary: Abby begins to get to know Owen, and he tells her a secret he's told no one else.  
> Characters: Abby (POV)/Owen, Nora (minor), Leah, (minor), various Fireflies

“It’s all about the flick of the wrist, you gotta just flick it.”

Owen let loose a dart that went into the bullseye.

Abby sighed and aimed her next dart. She’d missed the last two. Owen softly adjusted her arm angle to a higher position, and Abby felt her heart begin to speed up just a little.

“There, now let it go with a flick.”

Abby did her best to mimic Owen’s technique and let loose her dart. It landed next his in the bullseye.

“Yes!” she exclaimed, and high-fived him. “Where’d you learn that?”

“Well, uh. My brother taught me,” replied Owen pointedly before taking a breath and changing the subject. “Manny taught me this card game the other day, you wanna play?”

Abby weighed her options and looked around the room, she had only been at St. Mary’s Hospital with her dad for a few weeks. She was starting to get to know the other teens and younger Fireflies since then and a few seemed like they were going to be her friends. She also really liked hanging around Owen because he was always so upbeat and trying to make her laugh.That and he was pretty cute. But, Abby wasn’t sure if he felt the same way. Maybe he did, she caught him staring at her a few times and sometimes he didn’t even look away when she met his gaze. Mostly, however, Abby just wanted to get to know him.

“Okay, that sounds fun.”

It was three days later, a Friday night. One of the Fireflies found a stash of alcohol in a nearby building so some of the teens like Manny and Nick decided to have a mini party in the basement hangout. The older, more responsible ones could keep watch over the pretty much cleared out area around the hospital for the night. Abby thought in the back of her head maybe she shouldn’t be doing this, but kids younger than her like Jordan and Leah were going.

Abby ultimately decided to go because it might be fun, but also because her dad actually had overheard about the party and encouraged her as well. According to him, that’s what kids _should_ be doing every once in a while. Before coming to St. Mary’s and meeting the rest of the Fireflies, Abby hadn’t really had that type of social experience. So, screw it, why not?

When Abby got to the rooms in the basement where the party was going down, people there were already starting to drink, talking to each other, and playing games with cups and ping pong balls. Feeling out of place, she looked around for the nearest person she was friendly with. Luckily, Nora came up to her almost immediately. 

“Hey girl, glad you came!” Nora greeted and gave her a quick hug. “Let’s get you something to drink. Have you drank before?”

Abby shook her head, “No, not really…” she admitted.

“Well, I’ll warn you it tastes pretty terrible and unfortunately you’re gonna have to do shots because there’s nothing to mix it with. Here, do a whiskey shot with me.”

Abby watched as Nora poured a little amount of whiskey in each cup and picked up hers.

“Just swallow it really quick, it’s gonna burn and taste like shit okay?”

“Oh, okay…” Abby mimicked Nora and quickly swallowed the whiskey. It was _bad_ and sure enough it burned.

“Oh my god, what the fu…” Abby coughed.

“Ah, hits the spot,” mused Nora. “It’ll feel good in a little.” Nora leaned in towards Abby, “Y’know, I saw Owen in the back. He seemed to be in a shit mood though. Maybe you can cheer him up.”

Nora gave Abby a little push and she set off towards the next room where Nora meant. In there were about a dozen people, mostly guys. They were gathered in a circle playing a card game of some sort. Owen was off to the side leaning against the couch and drinking from a mug. He looked up and acknowledged Abby with a nod and a small smile.

“Oh, hey Abby!” Cried an excited voice, it was Leah, off to her side.

“Hey! Leah.” 

Leah began talking Abby’s ear off about the game the boys were playing and all the excitement that had occurred, but Abby was barely listening. She wanted to go over across the room to talk to Owen, especially now that she was starting to feel that whiskey. However, Nora seemed to be right. Owen didn’t look to be interested in anything besides what was in his mug.

The sound of the guys in the middle of the room shouting snapped her out of her thoughts. 

“That’s bullshit, that’s not fair!” cried Nick to another Firefly she couldn’t remember the name of.

“Yeah, fuckin’ bet!” taunted the other teen, getting in Nick’s face. It was suddenly a squabble between them with more shouting, and Abby spotted Owen getting up from where he was leaning and out the door.

“I’m gonna go…” muttered Abby to Leah before squeezing her way past the men and after Owen. She slipped through the bodies, past furniture and out the same door in the back.

“Hey, Owen...” She half-heartedly called, but he was already headed up the stairs and the voices of the teens behind her drowned out her call. Abby followed a distance behind him as he walked up to the main floor and out a door to the outside. Abby idled for a second, seeing through the window him taking a seat on a concrete barrier outside the building. She then took a breath and walked forward, opening the same door to the outside.

“Hey…” she greeted him, softly. 

Owen glanced up, still holding his mug. “Hey, Abby.”

Abby sat down next to him on the barrier, feeling a bit awkward.

Owen spoke after a minute. “Sorry for not being super personable today. It’s a… It’s a rough anniversary.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Abby knew what that meant. Her mom had died when she was only a kid. So few children these days seemed to have one or both of their parents.

Abby didn’t say anything for a bit. It hurt to see Owen so down. She reached out her hand and placed it on his. 

“Do you want to tell me about it?” she asked gently.

Owen looked at her hand on his. 

“I don’t know, I’ve never actually… talked about it with anyone.”

“You don’t have to. We could just sit here” 

Abby was staring at him reassuringly, and eventually he looked up to meet her gaze, his warm brown eyes that were normally full of joy, now filled with an unspoken pain. He dropped his gaze and moved his hand to grip hers and he rubbed it, almost nervously.

“My dad was a Firefly too. We lived in Denver. Five years ago, the Firefly chapter there got completely decimated by FEDRA. One day they found the Firefly hideout, raided them, and shot all the Fireflies they could find. I was only a kid, like thirteen. My dad got out though and took my mom, my brother and I and we snuck out of the city and headed east. I didn’t really get it at the time, I was so upset we had to leave. I didn’t want to lose everything, and all I could think about was stupid shit like my toys and my friends.” Owen paused and shook his head.

“Anyway, my dad was trying to meet up with some other Firefly group, but we had to travel through uncharted territory. There were some close calls and I ended up getting acquainted with the infected pretty quick. 

That’s how you would expect people to die nowadays isn’t it?” asked Owen coldly. “From infected? There’s millions of them and they all want to kill you. But it isn’t the infected that’s the problem. But it’s not them who are the real monsters. 

We got to another city and stumbled into Hunters almost immediately. They shot my mom right in front of me. One second she’s fine, the next she’s slumped over, blood coming out of her head.”

Abby couldn’t take her eyes from Owen, her hand gripping his and tears starting to well in her eyes. 

“My dad tried to shoot them, he got one or two, but they got him right after that. My brother and I ran. He grabbed my arm and we just fucking ran. We played a sick game of hide and seek with those Hunters for hours while they _taunted_ us.”

Owen stopped and breathed for a minute. He took his hand from her and wiped his eyes, Abby wasn’t sure if he was going to keep telling his story. But, he took a shaky breath and continued.

“We were holed up in this office, I was under one desk, my brother was under another. There were so many after us. This one guy followed us into the building. He was gonna turn the corner and see me but- “

Owen stopped, he put his hands on his face while the tears slipped through his fingers.

“But my brother called out instead. The Hunter shot him with his shotgun. I came up behind him and stabbed that Hunter in the neck but it was too late.”

He let out a hoarse sob.

“My brother was fifteen. His name was Adam.”

Abby leaned over and held Owen as he shook hoarse sobs. _He’d never told anyone before._ Abby’s heart broke, he must have been holding in that pain for so long.

Eventually, Owen stopped crying and his breathing slowed. He pulled away from Abby, and wiped his eyes, seemingly embarrassed.

“Fuck. Sorry. I didn’t mean to put all that on you.”

“It’s fine, Owen. I’m really glad you told me. It must have hurt to keep that in. I feel like I know you a lot better now,” she grabbed his hand again.

Owen smiled down at her grip, his eyes puffy and his breaths still shallow.

“Thanks, Abby. I- I feel better having told you about it.”

“Of course. You can tell me anything.” She looked at him as his expression relaxed and became less pained.

“You’re probably the best person I’ve met in a long time, Abby.”

Abby didn’t know what to say to that, so she just smiled and she hoped that was enough. They sat together in silence under the stars, a sense of peace coming over them until their time came to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be adding more chapters soon, but next in chronological order my fic "You are such an idiot" would be next so check that out if you haven't! https://archiveofourown.org/works/25723783


	2. How'd you get him to talk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T, fluff, scene fill-in  
> Chapter Summary: Dr. Anderson asks Owen to help him sneak out, and Owen can't keep a secret.  
> Characters: Owen (POV)/Abby, Jerry Anderson

“Owen, did you see where my dad went?” a slightly frantic Abby asked him.

He had, of course. Dr. Anderson had come up to him a few minutes prior and asked his to help him sneak out of the hospital for a secret mission to the zoo and to not tell anyone. Owen wasn’t supposed to do that, he was supposed to keep the doctor in the hospital where he could be guarded safely. But Doc always seemed to get what he wanted out of Owen, as did his daughter. It really ran in the family.

Owen knew Dr. Anderson liked to check up the animals around from the zoo, Abby had told him about the animals they’d seen from there. Owen had also ventured around the area with Abby a few times on their time off. Abby was freshly a Firefly, she and her dad had journeyed to the hospital in the hopes of an immune teenage girl showing up there and a cure being made, but it’d been months of waiting. Owen didn’t mind the waiting, because that meant more time with Abby.

She was the absolute greatest girl he’d ever met, smart and strong, beautiful, and definitely a dork. He got a crush pretty quick and he picked up that she had one on him too. Whenever they worked together doing Firefly duties, he’d flirt a bit and try and make her laugh with his jokes and it worked quite often. She’d call him an idiot a lot but it was in an endearing way. Now it’d been a few weeks since their first kiss and there’d been quite a few more kisses in between. They’d come to trust each other and to confide in one another which was really new to Owen, he’d never had someone like that before.

They tried to keep it under wraps. Owen didn’t tell anyone about their romantic relationship, not even his best friends Manny and Jordan. However, Manny was also Abby’s friend and was definitely starting to pick up on stuff. 

Not only Manny though, Owen was now sure that Jerry could tell as well. Jerry had been really smart with him these last few weeks, trying to get Owen to bend rules for him. Owen didn’t want to get in trouble with the Fireflies but because he was seeing Jerry’s daughter behind his back, for the most part Owen obliged him. It was never anything malicious Jerry swayed him to do, though he still felt a bit blackmailed by it. However, Owen always did it with a smile on his face. He just figured this was the price he had to pay, and he didn’t really mind the price if what he got out of it was being with Abby. 

There was also the situation that happened just a few minutes prior.

“Hey, Owen.” Greeted Dr. Anderson, a backpack on him and definitely looking to go out. “I’m gonna need you to let me out, and also not spill the beans on where I am.” 

Owen sighed, it would probably be fine if he did this. It’s not like the girl they were waiting for was going to show up while he was gone.

“You’re really not supposed to leave the building, Doc.”

Dr. Anderson gave a light sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I know. And you’re not supposed to make-out with my daughter and yet…”

Owen eyes widened and he could feel his face go red. _Shit_ , _he did know!_ “Uh, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” Owen stammered out.

Jerry laughed at Owen’s shock, “Hah! You look like you just pissed yourself. It’s fine, Owen.” He put a hand on Owen’s shoulder. “You’re a good kid. Just make sure she agrees to it verbally and use protection. Babies are bad news.”

Owen was going to die of embarrassment. “Uh, yeah, got it. You can go, it's fine.”

Jerry grinned, “Thanks, kid. I’ve got a patient waiting for me at the zoo. Don’t tell Abby though, she has her own job to worry about, no need to come after me. In fact no matter what, don’t tell her.” Jerry said with a wink.

 _When would his torture end?_ “Okay, Doc,” Owen had then agreed, sweating a bit.

But now it was fifteen minutes later and Abby had come up to him in a rush, asking Owen if he’d seen her father. 

“Maybe I have, I’m not supposed to say, though.”

Abby scoffed at him, her lips in a pretty pout.

“Owen! Come on, if he’s run off somewhere I gotta know where, what if there’s infected and he gets in trouble!”

“The area’s pretty safe, Abby, he’ll be fine.” Owen looked at Abby’s worried face though, and knew he’d relent. Abby took had taken a step closer so she was against him, her hands rested on his chest over his bulletproof vest. She was looking down now, her fingers playing nervously with his Firefly dog tag. He couldn’t just let her worry. 

“He said he was heading to the zoo.” Owen said softly.

Abby paused. “That makes sense. I’m gonna go after him, he might need help.” She looked in his eyes and smiled. Owen felt his chest flutter, Abby really had that effect on him. Abby leaned up for a kiss and Owen met her lips whole heartedly. She tugged on his tag, nudging his neck down to her. Owen brought a hand out to reach for hers and put the other on the small of her back, bringing her close. They were together for a few moments, locking lips, she playfully indulged him with some soft kisses. Owen didn’t want her to stop, and Abby seemed to savor the feeling before finally pulling away. She had on a shy, flirty smile that really had him going, but she had to leave. 

“I’ve got to go get him, but thank you.”

“Anything for my Goober.”

Abby snorted and blushed, and Owen watched Abby and she turned to leave. 

Owen wished for a long time that Abby hadn’t left so quickly, and that they could have just gone back to that moment together for just a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I wrote this quick thing to go along with my renders, if you haven't seen them all they're here  
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CHgV6TIjNis/  
> https://twitter.com/AbbyStanAccount/status/1326996273749168132?s=20


	3. Anchor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: E, angst, fluff, smut  
> Chapter Summary: After the Fireflies are decimated, Abby struggles with her emotions on the road.  
> Characters: Abby (POV)/Owen, various ex-Fireflies (minor)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> told y'all I was gonna add earlier chronological chapters at later times, here's one with a little bit of everything.

Her heart hurt more than she thought possible, her father and most of the Fireflies had been buried, dead in the ground for a week now. Abby tried to just take it one day at a time.

People could obviously tell now that she and Owen were a thing. There was no point in hiding it anymore, and she needed him now. The status of the Fireflies was a mess with so many dead including their leader, Marlene. The remaining Fireflies were splitting up, some like Abby wanted to go after Joel for what he did, but other people persuaded them it wasn’t possible. Instead she stuck with the majority of her friends who weren’t murdered. They were heading to Seattle on a tip a group there might take them in.

There was a group of around two dozen going. There were younger people like her, Owen, Nora, Mel, and Manny, and some older Fireflies like Manny’s father. He was lucky, not many of the others still had living parents.

They were traveling on foot to Seattle, it was going to take weeks. Months. 

It was their first night and they decided to stop to rest. Owen had brought a simple, small tent with him, as did some others. He set it up and offered to let Abby sleep in it. They hadn’t spoken much all day, she hadn’t really spoken to anyone, but she kind of was dying for a bit of privacy away from the group and their sad stares and accepted graciously. 

Owen was going to sleep on the grass outside the tent, but as Abby laid down she felt a wave of loneliness and emotion. She didn’t want to embarrass herself but she could feel it bubbling up and needed it to go away or she’d probably end up crying again.

“ _ Owen,”  _ she whispered outside the tent flap.

“Yes?” he whispered back. Abby saw him sit up in the dark.

“Can you come in here with me?” her voice sounded pathetic to her ears, but it was what she wanted. She moved to the side as Owen tried to quietly slip in the tent. 

“I just want you to hold me, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, Abby. Just lay down, I’ve got you.” Abby laid on her side, Owen six foot frame spooned her and he wrapped her waist with his large warm arm. She instantly felt better having him there, and they drifted to sleep for the night.

Three weeks on the road. They were getting closer to Oregon and then Washington, but they weren’t at the border yet. There had been the occasional run in with stray infected, but they kept to the streets and away from cities for the most part. However, their supplies were running low and one of the older Fireflies suggested they go for a supply run on outskirts of Boise. Some were against it, some were for it. 

Owen was against it. “There’s Hunters in there. Guaranteed. I don’t want anyone getting hurt just because we’re hungry.” He looked over at Abby. He didn’t look too well, he’d been giving her extra portions from his share, even though she told him he didn’t need to. Owen was also afraid of who could be hiding in wait for them in the city. Abby remembered when he confided to her how when they had been passing through a city, his family was killed in front of him by Hunters. Owen had told her but never told anyone else. It wasn’t something he liked to even think about.

In the end, they decided a small group of them would go in and gather supplies. Abby sort of wanted to go, but she knew Owen would be upset by that and she didn’t want to worry him when he was doing so much for her. Instead, Nick, Leah, and two older Fireflies were going to scavenge for anything they could find.

Abby and Owen sat on a grassy hill overlooking the city, a bit of a ways away from everyone else. 

Owen spoke up, “I could tell you wanted to go, thank you for not trying to though.”

Abby looked over at Owen. His knees were brought to his chest and he was looking as worse for wear as she was. 

“I remember what you told me a few months ago. I don’t ever want you to feel that way again. I feel that pain now. But at least I have you as my rock.” She reached out her hand to intertwine it with his. 

Owen looked at their hands, thinking. “We’re in this together, okay? I know you want him dead. If it happens that we get a lead and can we find him, we’ll go there and we’ll make him pay. I promise. It makes me sick what he’s done.”

Abby looked down. She’d been thinking about Joel and what he did nearly nonstop since it’d happened. Her heavy emotions of sadness were starting to morph into a deep angry, like a pit in her stomach. 

“Okay. Thank you,” was all she could manage to that. She was grateful he told her this, though.

“I’m sorry I had to bring it up. I just needed to say that to you.” Owen rubbed her hand with his thumb.

“It’s okay, I’m glad you said it.” Abby leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek, and then snuggled her head on his shoulder.

They sat there together for a few minutes, gazing at the cityscape, just content In each other’s presence. Abby shifted off him eventually, and was about to go and see what the others were up to.

Owen touched her arm when she moved. “Hey, Abby?” he said softly.

“Yes?” She looked at Owen, his face was mired in ten different emotions, but in his eyes she knew what he was going to say.

“I love you.”

She felt those butterflies in her chest that sometimes happened when she was around him. This time it was sharp, and she felt it in her heart and lungs and throat. Owen was her anchor, he knew her pain, he balanced her, he was her light in this darkness.

“I love you, too.”

Some nights were fine, some were utter torture.

Abby had woken up with a start. She must have only been sleeping for an hour or so. Owen was already awake, she must have been moving around or something. They were a bit aways from the group, by a crop of trees. They’d given their tent to Manny’s father who’d fallen ill a few days ago, and instead were huddled on the grass together with their blanket and folded clothes as pillows. An old sheet they’d found was pinned to the tree they were near, making a little shelter.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here.” He tried to reassure her, rubbing her shoulder. She knew it was all just a dream but it bothered her still.

Abby rolled over to face Owen. “I’m sorry for waking you up.”

“Don’t be sorry for that,” murmured Owen. Abby could dimly see his face in the night sky. She still felt anxious from her nightmare.

“Distract me,” she whispered to him. 

“Like a story or something?”

She couldn’t explain it, Abby didn’t really feel like a story would help right now. She just needed Owen close. To feel him. To know he’d never leave her.

Abby leaned over to kiss Owen. She halfway missed his mouth in true dark but he guided her back to him. She felt his lips against hers, his stubble against her cheek, his hands on her cheek and side as he accepted her touch. Abby scooched herself against him and hiked up her leg to pull into him in, like a laid down embrace. 

Feeling his skin against hers made her feel better. Abby brought her hand underneath his shirt and just felt his strong torso and back with her fingers. She liked softness of his skin, the texture of his hair, the warmth of his body.

Owen was playing with the bottom of her shirt and the little bit of her bare waist that was peeking out as they kissed. He wasn’t being as handsy as she was, obviously trying to respect her boundaries and letting her take the lead. But right now Abby was feeling a bit hot and bothered, which she gladly traded for being anxious and afraid.

Abby gingerly moved one of her hands to Owen’s crotch. She heard him suck air in through his teeth and he stopped kissing her. 

Abby rubbed her hand there just a little. “Could you… touch me down there?” she asked him meekly. “I could touch you back.”

Owen hesitated. “If that’s what you want, I will. I don’t want to rush you into anything.” 

“You’re not, I want you to touch me.”

“Okay.” Owen said, and kissed her softly. He moved his arms to undo her pants button.

“Do you know what to do?” Abby was a bit nervous.

“Yes.”

“Have you done this before?” Owen had told her before he’d never had a girlfriend, but that didn’t mean he’d never had sex before.

Owen made a quiet sigh and gently leaned her unto her back, slowly moving his large hand into her pants. 

“No, I haven’t.” 

Abby let out a noise as she felt his hand put pressure on her clit and as his finger brushed her sensitive areas. Owen muffled her by leaning over and meeting her mouth with a kiss. They didn’t want to make too much noise. Abby felt pleasure build as Owen adjusted his grip and position and slowly inserted a finger into her. Abby didn’t know how to conduct herself, her hands moved about to grip his shoulder and face and Owen moved his middle finger in and out and rubbed her clit with his palm. Her gasps were muffled by his kisses.

She didn’t want to wake the others up either, but it was hard to control herself. Abby had touched herself and masturbated before in her life, but it wasn’t like when someone else was doing it to you. It felt different, but good. 

Abby stifled another noise as she felt Owen put two fingers in her and rubbed her clit with his thumb. She kinda of wished it was his head between her thighs. Or his cock. She was pretty curious about his cock. 

But she still felt shy about it, it was probably better to wait with that and not move too fast. Though if that felt better than this did right now, she’d have to try it sooner rather than later.

Abby felt her pleasure peaking and she knew she was about to cum, Owen was moving his hand faster in a rapid motion. 

In a hushed voice as he kissed her neck she murmured to him, “Don’t stop, Owen. I’m gonna-  _ Owen!”  _ She felt the orgasm hit and dug her nails into his shoulder as he brought her over the edge. Abby shut her eyes and rose the wave as it washed over her. As it subsided she brought her hand over his, still partially inside her, and breathed hard, her heart pounding.

Owen’s head was leaning on the ground facing down and she could hear him breathing hard as well. Abby let go of his hand and he slowly took it out of her soaked underwear and pants.

“I’m guessing that was okay?” he quietly joked to her.

“Yeah.” She replied, still breathing heavy. Abby put her hand on his stomach and moved it down to his crotch. He was hard. “It’s your turn.”

Owen let out a shaky breath, “I don’t want to go too fast, I can just take care of myself and we can go back to sleep. It’s fine.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I want to help you out. It’s only fair.” She snuggled closer and rubbed a finger on his jawline.

“Okay.” Owen relented, seeing as she was sure. He unbuttoned his pants and brought out his cock. She couldn’t see it in the dark, but she saw the silhouette of his arm as he slowly began to stroke himself. Abby gingerly reached out and placed her hand on him as well. From what she could tell he was a respectable size. 

“You’re all worked up.” She murmured, moving hands so he was touching him more and following his speed. Owen grunted. “Have you ever touched yourself and thought about me?” She was feeling so bold right now, it was so sexy to see him this way. 

“ _ Abby… _ ” 

“Hmm?” She tried stroking him a little faster. She didn’t really know what she was doing but he seemed to like it. “I’m curious.”

Owen made a muffled noise. “Yes.”

Abby grinned in the darkness and gave his cock in her hand some more twisting strokes.

“Okay.” Grunted Owen and he sat up leaning it the side, away from their sleeping area and jerked himself to his peak. She laid there on her side as she saw him shake and ejaculate on the grass.

_ Quite the first sexual experience, _ she thought to herself. Abby was feeling the exhaustion hit her now. Owen looked like he had cleaned himself up, and he sheepishly scooched back into their makeshift bed. Abby laid back down on her side so he could spoon her again. 

“That was interesting,” she murmured to him.

“Yeah. It was.” Owen snuggled in close to her. He gave her a kiss on the back of the neck. Abby felt peaceful and content, at least for now.

“I love you,” Abby whispered to him. She wanted to say it first this time.

“And I love you,” he responded, holding her close as they drifted off to sleep. 


	4. The first time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: E, smut  
> Chapter Summary: Abby and Owen take their relationship to the next level.  
> Characters: Abby (POV)/Owen, Manny (mentioned)

The days after they found the aquarium had their ups and downs for Abby and Owen. 

Abby had felt guilty leaving him alone in the aquarium and going to training by herself, but she hadn’t wanted to miss it and make a bad impression on the WLF. She realized afterward she wasn’t being a very good girlfriend and Owen had looked pretty down when she saw him again. When she’d spotted him in the cafeteria the next day, picking at his food all depressed and by himself, Abby went up to sit next to him. She set her tray down and put her arms around him with her head on his shoulder. _He doesn’t want me to say sorry again._ After a second, Owen loosened up, and put his arm around her too. They were good again, that’s how this worked.

“I want to hang out with you tonight,” she murmured. “I miss you.”

She could feel him smile against her. “I’d like that Abs. How about you borrow one of Manny’s DVD’s and we watch it in my room tonight?”

“Okay,” Abby replied with a smile, finally letting go of her embrace, and they chatted through the rest of lunch.

That night they watched some romantic anime movie Manny owned. They curled up on Owen’s single bed in the dorm-room like room he lived in. It was small, but at least it was private. Though, the walls seemed pretty thin.

They watched the first half of the film, but Abby wasn’t super invested, her mind was wandering. She decided she’d had enough of it, and began tracing little circles on Owen’s chest with her finger. She then escalated it a bit further by nuzzling his neck, and before long they were making out and heavy petting. That was mostly how far they’d gotten over the year they’d been dating. Well, except for the few times she’d given him a handjob under the covers, and the time he’d slipped his hand in her shorts and fingered her until she came. That still sort of fell under the category of make-out though, right?

The next step however, they hadn’t gotten to yet. Abby was starting to think she was ready, but maybe not this second. She needed a little prep time first and this was a bit too spontaneous. She probably should have thought of this earlier in the day, she thought to herself, frustrated.

Abby pulled back off of him and situated herself back into a cuddle.

“I was thinking I wanted us to go to the next step soon,” she said to him, turning her head to the movie and avoiding his gaze.

“You mean like, uh, now?” Owen asked, halfway out of breath and sounding confused.

“I was thinking tomorrow, so we could both prepare and stuff,” she said, squeezing his hand.

“Yeah, okay. If you think you’re ready,” Owen lightly kissed the back of her head. “I love you.” Abby responded by pulling his arm around her and kissing his hand.

As far as Abby knew they were both virgins. Although Owen was two years older than her, he was only a young teen when he joined the Fireflies, and she had been his first girlfriend a few years after that. They took it slowly and innocently for a while because they had been young, but as Abby got older and bonded with Owen over the years, she admitted she found herself desiring him more and more. He’d never pushed her in their relationship, and always seemed to put her needs first. Though he was physically inexperienced, Abby was sure his guy friends had told him what to do for when it was time. Abby bet that when she wasn’t around his friends probably gave him a hard time over the fact that they had been going slow.

“I hope the commissary has condoms,” Owen murmured.

“You don’t have any?”

“No, I didn’t think I’d needed any.”

“Really?” asked Abby mischievously, pushing back a little, and fitting snugly against his groin.

Owen grunted, “Tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” he replied weakly, and the two watched the end of the film, tangled in each other's arms.

The next day, Abby was nervous, excited, and a bit jumpy. She made sure to wash extra well in the showers after her training sessions, lathering up with her favorite pine soap and attempting to shave some parts of her body as well as she could, but she no doubt left some patchiness.

Abby was tempted to tell her other friends like Nora and Leah what was going to go on that night, be she decided against it. Her relationship wasn’t really their business. That said, she’d probably end up spilling the beans to them the next day. 

She hadn’t seen Owen all day because he had a patrol that afternoon, but they had agreed to meet at his room at 8PM. Abby messed with her hair in the mirror before heading over. She had it loose for once, it was still slightly damp and was starting to grow out, reaching past her collarbones. She was dressed in her nicest bra and underwear and a somewhat low cut t-shirt. Abby was starting to spend more time in the gym since she’d been in Seattle, and she was noticing her body start to bulk and change shape, she herself wasn’t sure if she liked the look yet, and also she hoped Owen wouldn’t mind. With a quick adjustment, she figured she looked good enough and headed to Owen’s room.

Abby knocked on his door, and Owen opened it almost immediately. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and holding a bouquet of wildflowers. 

“Hey! Wow, you look beautiful,” he grinned.

Abby blushed and looked down, “Thanks, are these for me?” 

Owen handed her the flowers. “Yeah I picked them on patrol. I know you appreciated them that other time, so.” He gestured his hands a bit awkwardly, “Anyway, come in.” 

Abby entered the room and leaned against the closed door. Owen was clearly a bit nervous, and smiled at her while taking a step back.

Abby broke the silence. “So um, did you get the condoms?”

“Yeah! Yeah, well... the commissary was actually out and has been for weeks. I had to ask Manny this morning and I traded him to get three.”

“Ah shit, Manny already knows?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Owen looked ashamed, “I had to confirm it was for use with my girlfriend and not someone else for him to give me any.” 

Abby sighed, “Hmm, well guess all our friends will know our business whether we like it or not. Did you say only three?” 

“Yeah, three was all that sex fiend would spare.”

“So, I’m only going to be able to have sex with you three times?” She challenged him suggestively.

Owen looked up at her with a raised brow, and the side of his mouth curled. He relaxed his stance and took a step closer to her. “No, not necessarily.”

“Good.” She replied, her breath taken away as he walked up to her and pressed her into the wall, pulling her into a kiss. Abby ran her fingers up his arms to his face as Owen kissed her lustily.

He leaned off her for a moment and tossed his shirt to the side. Abby smirked the the sight of his bare chest, his muscles defined and occasionally peppered with various scars.

Abby decided to just take off her shirt, leaving her in her bra. Owen undid his pants and kicked them off, and Abby did the same. They were left in just their underwear, and Abby felt a bout of self-consciousness.

Owen gave her a reassuring smile and took a step forward again. “You’re so gorgeous, Abby.” He pulled her into a deep kiss and led her sideways to the bed. He seemed to want to gently lay her down, but Abby was feeling fired up. She grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him on the bed.

“Holy- oh shit, Abs,” he laughed from the bed. Abby grinned and straddled him, he reached his arms to her but she took his wrists and pinned him down with a smirk.

“Wow you’re really strong now... and it’s really fucking sexy,” Owen responded.

He shifted his weight, and with a maneuver from his legs managed to roll her over and end up with him on top. “But, I’m gonna win this round.”

Owen leaned in and kissed her before she could respond, his kisses feeling extra warm with their skin rubbing against each other. Abby felt him move his hand to her side and arched her back into him. Owen snaked his hand behind her and unhooked her bra surprisingly easily.

Abby exhaled, “Are you sure you haven’t done this before? You weren’t lying?” 

Owen looked at her, his warm brown eyes illuminated by the table lamp and pupils large and black. 

“Swear to God,” he said huskily, and began kissing her neck. Abby gasped as she felt him pull away her unhooked bra and knead her breast with his hand. It felt good and she ground against him in frustration. Owen then began moving his head down, kissing her on the collarbone, sternum, and then her breast and nipple. She made a noise and grabbed his head as he kissed it.

Owen spent some time there and then leaned off of her a bit. They were both breathing harder than before. “You okay if I go lower?” He asked, running a finger on the rim of her underwear waistline.

“Yes,” said Abby and bit her lip as Owen went back to kissing her body, and positioned himself halfway off the bed. She held her breath as she felt him hook his fingers on her underwear and pull them off. She instinctively pushed her legs together after, though feeling him rub her thighs and then looking up at him and seeing the reassuring look on his face, she loosened up. 

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” He murmured, and Owen leaned in and began kissing a line from her knee and up her leg.

Abby held her breath as Owen positioned his head between her legs, and gasped as his mouth touched her. She couldn’t help but squirm as he used his tongue on her, gently and in circles. Abby couldn’t help but moan as she felt him move his tongue and mouth, and tightened her thighs around him. She had masturbated before, she knew what an orgasm felt like, but this one felt strong and was building up inside her quickly. Abby felt herself about to go over the edge and let it go. “Owen!” she cried as she gripped the back of his head and pushed him into her as she felt the waves of pleasure.

She held him there until she felt in pass and then let go of his head. Owen leaned back, his face red and his mouth wet. He stood up and Abby could tell he was hard in his boxers. She’d never gotten that great a look at his cock before, and only really seen and felt the silhouette. 

Abby was feeling bold again. “Take those off and come here,” she ordered, pointing to his crotch.

Owen raised an eyebrow but he complied, taking off his boxers and having his manhood out in the open. Abby laid onto her side and reached out to him, she put her hand on his dick and gently tugged on it, like she did those times she’d given him a handjob. Her hands were rather large, though Owen had enough length that all worked out well. She glanced up at him and he was staring at her intently with his mouth slightly open. Abby leaned forward and put the head of his cock in her mouth, and she could feel him twitch and suck air in through his teeth. Abby only sucked on him for a few seconds before Owen gently pushed her head back.

“Okay. Okay.” He said breathily, “I’m gonna come if you keep going.” Owen took a few steps back and pulled out one of his three condoms from the drawer. He ripped it open and put it on while Abby relaxed on her back on his bed.

Owen straddled over her on the bed and leaned down and kissed her again. His right hand moved down between her legs and began to stroke her. Abby gasped in between their kisses. Owen resituated himself and looked her in the eyes, “You still sure about this?”

“Yeah,” Abby replied, and squeezed her eyes closed as she felt him insert himself in her, she gasped as she felt him push all the way out and then slowly back out.

“You okay?”

“Yes,” she replied looking up at him, she opened her mouth and let out an involuntary moan as she felt him move again. It hurt a bit, but it felt good at the same time. Abby rode the feeling as they moved together and Owen lowered his head again and they kissed.

After a few strokes, Owen pulled out and then turned her to the side, laying down behind her. He slipped himself back in and had one hand on her shoulder and the other between her legs, this position felt even better, and Abby snaked her hand over his as he moved, picking up the pace. 

“I love you, Abby,” he murmured in her ear.

“I love you, too,” she gasped.

She felt herself getting close again as he rubbed her and moved with increased pace. “Owen…” she whined as she felt an orgasm coming on, and focused on the sensations as she felt it flow over her. Towards the end of it she felt Owen tense up and grip her harder.

“ _Fuck_. Abby,” he grunted into her skin, and she felt him thrust harder into her and pulse as he finished in her.

They held there for a minute, breathing hard. Abby’s hair was a mess in her face and they were slick with sweat. Owen let go and pulled out. He got up and tossed the used condom in the trash. He then scooched back next to Abby on his small bed. Pushing the hair from her face, he traced his finger along her jaw. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” she replied with a smile.

He looked sheepish. “Was... _that_ okay?”

“Yeah, Owen, the sex was good.”

Owen laughed and grinned. “Okay, good. Does that mean we’re gonna use the last two condoms?”

“I think we’re gonna need a lot more than two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope y'all enjoyed the smut...  
> I've got two more chapters ready to go, (non-smutty) they'll come soon. I have at least three more chapters after that I'll definitely finish/write and some shorter ones more I might get the urge to write too. The upcoming chapters are mostly fluff and angst because that's what this couple is... 😢


	5. Just you and me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T, mentions of smut, fluff and angst  
> Chapter Summary: Abby and Owen revisit the Aquarium.  
> Characters: Owen (POV)/Abby, Manny (mentioned), Jordan (mentioned)

He was hoping this good mood of hers would last forever. 

It had been a really good month at least. All week, Isaac was busy with some Scar business Owen didn’t really know much about. That meant the sergeants were more lax, and Abby’s mind was less on their commander, and more allowed to be on other things. If Owen could keep her from thinking about training, the WLF, and old Firefly business for as long as he possible, then that was a win. Seeing Abby enjoying herself, having fun, and being sweet to him was all Owen really wanted, and it was disheartening that for the past year that had been so rare.

Every day for the past week they’d seen each other. It was only last month that they had sex for the first time, and though it wasn’t every day since then they’d done it again, it was a good amount of them. Sometimes they didn’t go completely all the way, they just fooled around a little, or had chill date nights. They also kept it mostly cool when their friends were around. Two days ago the whole eight of the “Salt Lake Crew'' as Isaac called them decided to get drunk and watch a movie together. Abby was out of her guarded shell for once, but she immediately stopped with her little flirty moves on Owen when Jordan started teasing her.

“Damn Abby, you finally let him hit it and you’re all soft on him now.”

“You know, he’s probably good at it,” added Manny, “I gave him a  _ lot _ of pointers.” The guys all laughed, and Owen had laughed too, but he was red with embarrassment and Abby looked mortified. Nora and Leah immediately told the two guys to shut up and that was that, but Abby spent the rest of the movie sulking, curled into a ball on the couch. Owen tried to grab her hand part way through, but she shrugged him off. The next day Owen only got to briefly see her and she was guarded and had an excuse of needing to train that day. Today, he knew he had to cheer her up again. If he had already lost happy Abby and she was back to being closed up, training-obsessed Abby he was gonna go crazy.

That morning at breakfast brought her a gift, a whale keychain he snagged from the gift shop that time they went to the aquarium.

He proposed to her that they go back there that afternoon, it was away from everyone, it was just gonna be the two of them and it was gonna be a lot of fun.

“I think we’ve already been having a lot of fun, just the two of us. Maybe too much.” Smirked Abby.

“No, not too much. There’s no such thing. C’mon, I wanna go back there and it’s gonna be so lame going by myself… without my goober.”

Abby couldn’t help but smile and blush at their nickname for each other, she looked over her shoulder to make sure no one heard. 

Owen mimed the whale keychain talked in a sing-songy voice, “Blow off training pretty please?” Then he handed it to her.

Abby looked at the keychain and then up at him with those big eyes that just made him melt inside, he hoped his best puppy dog gaze was doing the same to her.

“Okay fine, I’ll come with you.”

“God, when Isaac starts assigning more Scar shit again I’m not looking forward to that,” groaned Owen on their way to the aquarium.

“I don’t know, I’m getting kinda antsy. Just the border patrols are pretty boring.”

“I know a way to make patrols less boring.”

Abby looked over at him and pushed him with an eye roll. “Yeah, uh, you wish.”

“Next patrol we do together we’ll see what happens.”

“You’re such a fucking horny idiot.”

Owen laughed at that. “Fuck, that last run in with them sucked though. That arrow wound is leaving a mark.” 

Abby frowned and looked at the part of his arm that had been shot a few weeks ago. “You gotta be more careful, Owen. Every time we see each other it’s like you’ve got a new scar.”

“Yeah, soon you won’t be able to tell me and them apart.”

“I think I’ll be able to tell crazy religious fanatics apart from my boyfriend.”

“I meant like the scar part. Because the face scars they-”

Abby sighed, “I know what you meant.”

The two spent a bit more time exploring the aquarium this time, Owen found more artifacts left behind by Max and his family as well as various interesting items from before Outbreak Day. He started collecting all the noteworthy things he found and organizing them. He wanted to clean the whole place up, how cool would it be to renovate the aquarium and live in it? If he didn’t have to report for duty for the WLF he probably would. Him and Abby just making that their base? Their friends could come too maybe. He knew that was all a fantasy though, Abby seemed more than happy to do the duties of a proper WLF soldier. He himself, he wasn’t sure if he was behind the WLF’s convictions as he had been the Fireflies’.

Sometimes it felt to Owen like there was no reaching Abby. There still was that demon in the back of her mind that Owen knew never seemed to leave her. It was the thing that caused her restless sleep, that ground her teeth at night, that caused her to convince herself to push her body to the utmost limit. Owen was only ever to distract Abby from him for so long. If she couldn’t shake that demon that haunted her, Owen hoped to God that one day Abby could get her proper closure. He knew that until then her rage would never settle down, no matter how much he wished she could just let it go.

A voice interrupted his brooding thoughts and mindless organizing. 

“Hey, I think you’re gonna like this.” Abby sounded chipper and smug.

Owen immediately put on a smile and turned, “What’d you- oh wow!”

It was a portable radio and a box of cassettes. Owen took the box and placed it on the information desk. Looking through them, there were around thirty cassettes of various genres.

“I found it in the kitchen, which looks pretty nice actually. You could totally live in here, you know.”

“I was just thinking about that. I’d have to clean it up first though, are you gonna help me?”

“Hmm, yeah. I don’t know about that. I’ve got a busy schedule. How about you ask Manny or Jordan to come with you next time? You guys seem to bro it up a lot.”

Owen looked down, awkwardly. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that other night. They’re assholes. Hence, why I don’t think I want to tell other people about this place. They’ll just fuck it up. I only want to let certain, special people in.”

Abby looked amused, “Oh? Only me?”

“For now, because you’re being nice to me.”

“Am I?”

“Relatively, yes.”

Owen flipped through the cassettes and picked out a classic looking one. He took hold of the cassette player and inserted it. Pressing a button, a woman’s soulful crooning voice filled the aquarium.

“Are you trying to attract clickers?”

“Oh phooey, it’s clear. Come dance with me.” Owen held out his arms.

Abby scrunched her mouth into a smile. She took his hand in hers and put her other hand on his shoulder. Owen placed his hand on her waist and pulled her into a slow sway.

“So are you gonna stay for long at this hideout of yours?”

“I’d live here all year if you would aw well. It’s awesome here.”

Abby gave him a half smile and looked to the side.

Owen sighed, “Okay, so obviously I can’t live here full time, but ideally I would like to visit a few times a month, clean it up, just chill out.” He rubbed his thumb on Abby’s side. “Or, just hang with my girl alone here.” Abby looked up at him and gave a small smile. “No loud cafeteria, no cramped streets, no paper thin walls in my shitty dorm room. I’ll share it with her, but not with anyone else. Here there’s no rules, no schedules, just us... and the fucking spotted seals.”

Abby looked flattered by his monologue, and responded with a sheepish, “Oh, wow.”

She was probably going to deflect now, with something about missing training. He seemed to be able to pour his heart out, but Abby was always so clammed up. He’d tried to get her to open up, but it was so damn hard.

“Okay, that was a bit flowery. Bottom line though-” Owen moved his hand to cup Abby’s face, and tried to portray with his gaze all these feelings. Her beautiful blue eyes stared back at him in attention. 

“I love you. All I want is to spend time with you and make you happy as much as I can.”

She was there with him at that moment, he could tell. Her mind was fully on focused just them, and he wished it would be forever.

“I love you too, Owen.” Abby said in a hushed voice.

He pulled her in close, meeting her mouth with his. Her hand moved to his hair as he bent her into a deep kiss. _ Never let this moment end, please.  _ Owen felt his eyes grow slightly damp, knowing that it would. They held onto each other for seconds, or moments, or hours. 

In the background, the singer on the cassette crooned words of love and heartache, but neither of them was listening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is pretty short, things get more angsty from here 😅


	6. You’re all I want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: T, mentions of smut, fluff and angst  
> Chapter Summary: Owen and Abby share a quiet moment.   
> Characters: Owen (POV)/Abby, Isaac (mentioned)

It seemed like her was hardly ever able to pin her down anymore. Those three months from the end of summer into fall were heaven for him, it was Abby and her almost full attention. She seemed happy for once, goofy, almost carefree. But it wasn’t like that anymore. 

He had convinced her to come with him to the aquarium again, it had taken two weeks of begging, enduring her training overtime. He’d gone by himself the last time and it was kind of depressing, she hadn’t been there in over a month. Ever since Isaac had talked with her alone there’d been an obvious change. Owen knew that Isaac had said something to her, put back in her head those thoughts of revenge that never seemed to go away from her. Owen of course hated what had happened to the Fireflies too, he wanted to help the WLF too, but none of that was going to keep him content. Maybe that was how Abby was trying to find contentment in her life. Owen was just trying to have more in life to live for.

Abby was laying across from him on the bed in the boat. They had had slept together just minutes prior, the feel of her skin against his was all he had craved during those times she wasn’t with him. She was there with him, but even now with her just a foot away, he knew Abby was somewhere else entirely. She was quiet, not looking at him. The cold winter breeze came in through the cracks in the boat’s door and she shivered. Owen was so accustomed to just looking at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking. He knew her mind was back in the darkness, thinking about how she should be training, thinking about the things that kept her up at night, the things he had tried to comfort her through but even then she would still wake up from with a start. She was thinking about her father and the man who killed him.

Owen took her hand, he just wanted her to know: when she hurt, so did he.

Abby turned from her side facing him, unto her back. She exhaled, and looked tired.

“You’re all I want, Abby. I just wish I was all you wanted.”

She turned her head to look at him, her eyebrows together and her sad eyes glossy. She looked conflicted, and like she knew she should say something but didn’t. Still, after a beat, Abby scooched closer to him and put her head under his. Her warmth against him filled his heart again. At least for the night, they were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a short little interlude, hope y'all still liked it anyway. The next part I'm still working on and it's loooong and angsty, so look forward to that ;)


	7. Up in flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Rating: M, Graphic depictions of violence/wounds, language, angst  
> Chapter Summary: Dozens of Scar battles. You don’t always get away unscathed.  
> Characters: Abby (POV)/Owen, Manny, Jordan, Mel, Nora, Isaac (mentioned)

“I think this pistol’s busted. I'm gonna get a different one,” muttered Abby, already annoyed. 

“Okay, I’ll wait here,” replied Owen, adjusting supplies in the trunk. They were by the trucks in the garage, about to ship out on a patrol. Jordan and Manny were coming along too and were waiting outside by the gate. Abby spun on her heel and sped walked back to the armory to pick up a different pistol. She went back to the gunmaster’s area on the other side of the garage to exchange it, which luckily wasn’t much of a hassle. Abby turned to go back when she heard a familiar, irritating voice from across the garage.

“- so I hear your ex-Firefly Salt Lake crew are becoming quite the Scar killers,” came the nasally voice of Danny from across the room. That little shit was always trying to piss off someone and he wasn’t good at much else.

“Yeah, I mean. We get sent on missions and then we take care of them,” replied Owen, cross-armed and obviously not wanting to talk much with Danny, he’d experienced his antics before. Abby peeked from around the doorframe’s shadow at them, curious to see where this was going.

“Yeah... Your girlfriend, Abby. She’s becoming kinda notorious around here. She just can’t seem to get enough of popping off those Scars. I hear Isaac’s making her into his new prodigy. Which I personally think is kinda ridiculous.”

“Hmm,” grunted Owen.

“So I’ve been wondering something,” said Danny, sounding sly. 

“What?” asked Owen, annoyed.

“Who puts it in who’s ass when you guys are-”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now,” growled Owen, getting in Danny’s face. Danny was smiling and holding back a laugh.

“What? All those fucking muscles bro, it’s not hot and you should tell Abby that. Like if I-”

“Keep her fucking name out of your mouth you weaselly piece of shit,” Owen was taking steps towards Danny, while Danny was taking steps back but clearly gleeful having gotten a rise out of Owen.

“I’m just trying to give some friendly advice man to man-”

“Well my friendly advice to you is scram before I dislocate your jaw.”

“Okay, okay.” Danny looked like he’d had his fun and ducked down and jogged away and out a side exit. Owen loudly exhaled and put his hands on the back of his head, heading back towards their truck. 

Abby decided she should go over there now. Danny was just a pathetic twerp and wasn’t even worth getting angry at. His comments might have hurt her feelings a year ago, but now she found she was starting to care less and less about how other people felt about her.

Owen turned when he heard her come near.

“I heard.” Abby said pointedly.

“Danny’s-”

“I don’t give a fuck about Danny and you shouldn’t let him get you mad like that.”

Owen looked incredulous. “So, what? I’m supposed to just let him shit talk you to my fucking face?”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Just- whatever. Come on, Jordan and Manny are waiting outside.”

Owen did that thing where he stared at her intently while she was looking away. Abby ignored it and situated the supplies in the back of the truck. She closed the truck bed and headed to the passenger seat. She heard Owen sigh and then get into the driver’s seat. 

They drove down the path of the compound and picked up Jordan and Manny waiting by the gate.

“Took you guys long enough!” said Manny when he and Jordan jumped in the back. 

“Yeah,” replied Owen, shortly. He would have normally bantered back, but he seriously did not seem in the mood today, and frankly, neither was Abby.

Through the streets of Seattle, they drove ten minutes away to their destination and parked. They were supposed to make sure the buildings in the area were clear as the day before Scars had been spotted there. There was a chance of running into some today, or turning up empty. The four walked in a line down the road, peeking in buildings and around corners but so far it seemed deserted.

After a bit, Manny spoke up. “Are you guys arguing again? Because if you are, I can help. First of all let me guess, Abs was being mean to Owen.”

“What? Manny-” Abby protested.

“But, it was because Owen was doing something that Abby didn’t like. Which is why you guys need to just communicate. Talk it out… and then have furious make up sex.”

“Yeah, thanks for that Manny, we’ll keep that in mind,” replied Owen, sarcastically. 

Abby shook her head and looked over at Owen. He didn’t look his usual self. His skin looked pale, his eyes had circles in them. He didn’t seem to have the energy to joke or even pretend to be okay. Abby felt a pang of guilt. She was being unfair to him. She knew she should talk with him more and open up, but it seemed like whenever she brought up what happened in Salt Lake he’d just get annoyed. Like he wanted her to forget or move on. But she couldn’t, it wasn’t just that easy for her.

Still, Abby knew she should say something to him. She walked over to where Owen was, peeking inside a blown out building, and put her hand on his arm.

“Hey. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped earlier, you were just defending me.” 

Owen looked over at her. He had on a half smile but there was still something behind his eyes. 

“It’s fine, Abby. You know how I am, I know how you are. It’s okay.”

“Okay,” Abby said and gave him a quick smile.

They were interrupted by the voice of Jordan, who was by the side of another building across the street when he bent down and picked up a bottle.

He called out to them, “Hey guys, get a load of this- _Oh shit_!” Jordan suddenly jerked back as an arrow flew by his face and ricocheted off the building.

“Fuck, Scars!” yelled Manny, and Abby and Owen scrambled into battle mode. They peeked over the frame of the windows but there wasn’t anyone to see from that view. In the distance, the sound of gunfire came from the left side of their building.

“They’re on the ridge over by that parking lot!” shouted Manny. Abby moved from her position near the street to along the wall, searching for a good door or window to slip out of. 

“I see two on that ridge!” she heard Jordan call as he moved around the building along the outside. She heard Jordan take two shots, but didn’t hear confirmation that he got any of the Scars.

Abby eyed a broken window out the back and saw outside of it was the parking lot surrounded by concrete barriers; a good cover. She jumped out the window and rolled to one of the barriers, a few seconds later she heard Owen follow. Manny was letting loose more shots, and Owen scrambled to a separate barrier to Abby’s right.

Abby could see fifty feet away there was a Scar directly in front of her on the ridge. When she heard the shots from that area cease, she leaned out with her assault rifle and peppered the Scar with bullets.

“Got one,” she called.

“Got another,” called back Manny, who was taking refuge in a nearby building. Jordan was also around the corner letting off shots. 

There were at least two more, and Abby felt anxious staying in one spot. She scanned the trees on the right for where the remaining Scars would be. 

“Abby, your left!” called Owen to her, and she whipped her head to the left where she saw movement weaving in and out of the trees towards her. Abby aimed her rifle, and when the figure moved from cover she let off three rounds, two of them hitting the Scar in the head. 

Abby grinned at the kill and ducked down under cover, turning towards where Owen was, leaned over cover and taking shots with his rifle. She looked over to thank him as Owen turned his head towards her, when then a figure came just into view from between the trees and an object came hurtling towards him. It was spinning; a bottle on fire. Abby opened her mouth to yell out his name or say “duck!” but all that came out was a scream.

The molotov hit the back of his right shoulder and the glass exploded. Fire flew from the bottle engulfing him with a rush. The heat from it was so hot that even twenty feet away Abby herself felt like she was on fire too. What must have been three seconds seemed to stretch on for hours as Abby helplessly watched Owen catch on fire and fall backwards into the dirt, yelling and flailing his arms trying to put out the flames. 

She felt like her limbs were made of lead while she crawled over to him, it seemed like the distance between them was getting longer with every move she made. It was pure terror seeing Owen wirth on the ground and scream horrible sounds as the accelerated fire burned his clothes into his skin.

Finally she reached Owen, and desperately attempted to pat out the fire, he was on his back where the bottle first hit him, but the alcohol had splashed over the front of his torso where he was currently still on fire. Abby ripped off her backpack and pushed it unto the remaining flames, mind set on putting out the parts of him still burning. The area surrounding Owen was still peppered with flames from the molotov, so she tried to grab him and pull him a few feet away from that. Owen cried out loudly as she lifted his shoulders, and when she placed him back down Owen gripped her around the arm painfully tight. She looked at him in the eyes for the first time. His face was blackened from soot, his skin was red and glazed, his eyes were wide and terrified. “ _Abby. God- Fuck! Abby_ ,” were the only words he could manage, overwhelmed from the pain. 

It was then that Manny and Jordan ran up to them. “We got the rest of the fuckers. Oh shit, that’s really-” was all Abby could barely register Manny saying. She tore her gaze away from Owen’s pleading face and looked down.

Half of Owen’s shirt seemed to be melted into his skin, and the skin exposed looked red and like it was peeling off. Black soot covered his burnt clothes and he was _smoking._

Abby leaned over and vomited. She was breathing so quick that she must have been hyperventilating. Her ears started ringing. She couldn’t think, _what if he was going to die too_? She could hear muffled voices but she couldn’t understand them.

 _“ABBY.”_ Manny was shaking her shoulders.

Abby snapped back to the present as Manny’s voice cut through her thoughts. “You can’t do this right now. We need you here. We gotta get Owen back to the truck and to the hospital or he’ll die!”

 _Die_.

Abby took a deep breath. She had to fucking hold it together. She could fucking cry about it later. Owen was going to die if she didn’t.

Abby leaned over Owen, he was still conscious, shaking on the ground and breathing haggardly. His eyes moved over to hers, pleading, and the terrified and pained look on his face sunk Abby’s stomach like a stone.

“It’s okay baby, I’m here,” she tried to comfort him, and held his left arm.

Manny came into view and kneeled down, picking through Owen’s pants pocket.

“Fucking Christ,” whined Owen when Manny touched him. 

“I’m sorry, hermano,” apologized Manny, retrieving the car keys. “Jordan, take these and run back to the truck and bring it here.” 

“Yeah, got it,” replied Jordan in a shaky voice, who came forward from where he was standing a few yards away. He took the keys and set off in a sprint. 

Owen was staring at the sky and taking shallow gasping breaths. The heat coming from his body was unsettling. “Fuck. I am in so much fucking pain,” he gasped, and tear lines began to cut through the soot on the side of his face.

“I know, I know. Jordan’s getting the car and then you’re going right to the hospital, it’s going to be okay,” Abby tried to reassure him and herself.

She wasn’t sure if he could hear her though. Owen was twitching on the ground, his head moving side to side, clearly in distress, “ _I’m sorry. I love you. Fuck. I’m sorry_ ,” he muttered, barely understandable.

“It’s okay. Owen, he’s coming back soon, you’re going to be fine,” was all that Abby kept repeating to him, and she hoped it was the truth. 

Jordan took what seemed like hours to come back. Worse yet, he returned with the car parked a block away. The road was badly cracked and split where they were and he told them he couldn’t get the car down the alleyway. They would have to carry Owen down the block to the truck.

“Are you fucking kidding me? How are we supposed to move him that far, his fucking skin is falling off.” Abby was starting to feel hysterical again. Manny began to shout at Jordan as well.

 _Fuck. Take a breath. Hold it together. You do what you have to do to get the job done._ That’s what her father used to say.

Abby took a breath. “ _Okay_. Okay. Jordan you’ll grab his legs, Manny, carry him under his right arm and I’ll take the left side. We have to lift him.”

They all moved to where Abby directed. She was on Owen’s left side where the burn mostly wound was, and she forced herself to look down at it to find a place to hold him. The smell of the burnt flesh up close nearly made her vomit again. Abby instead steeled herself and looked at her boyfriend’s distressed face.

“We’re gonna move you now Owen, okay? The car is down the street and we’re gonna carry you there just please be strong for me.”

He could hear her, his eyebrows crinkled together and he managed out an “Okay,” to her.

“Get ready,” she told him, and placed her hands on his arm and side, bracing to stand up. Manny and Jordan did the same and Owen hissed in discomfort.

“On three we lift up, okay? One. Two. Three.” 

The three lifted up at once and Owen screamed in pain as his skin tore from the pavement. The three began shuffling him towards the car trying to talk and calm him along the way, but Owen was grunting in pain so loudly that every Scar in the area must have heard him. 

Jordan, walking backwards, stumbled on the uneven pavement and halfway dropped Owen’s legs. Owen's body went sideways and Abby’s grip slipped as she grabbed part of Owen’s wounds trying to catch him. She heard him inhale sharply and tense up and then go limp.

“Oh fuck, Owen?” she called to him, concerned. His head lolled back and his eyes were halfway closed.

“He passed out, Abby. C’mon, hurry up, that makes this easier,” pressured Manny, and the three continued to shuffle towards the car.

They were right at the truck, finally, and Owen lulled awake with a pained moan.

“We’re here baby, it’s okay,” she told him.

“The hospital?” she heard him weakly say.

“No… the truck.” _Fuck, it was still a ten minute drive to the base._

“Let’s lift him up in the bed of the truck, Abby. You go up there first and hold him. Jordan will drive and I’ll try and get the base on the radio so they can get ready for him.”

Abby hopped up on the bed of the truck and held Owen’s head and shoulders as Manny and Jordan hoisted him up. They tried their best to lower him down as gently as they could, and Abby sat in the bed with Owen’s head in her lap and propping him so his wounds wouldn’t brush against anything as best she could. Jordan shut the truck bed door and hustled to the driver’s seat and Manny followed. They started the car and it lurched backwards, backing up and then spinning out towards the way back to base.

Owen groaned in pain, his breath was coming in shallowly and distressed. Abby took his right hand and brought it closer to her, holding it tight and using her other hand to stroke his cheek.

“Stay with me Owen. We’re in this together, remember? I need you to stay awake.”

“I’ll try, Abby,” he replied weakly.

 _I need to keep him awake._ “You know, I don’t think I thanked you enough for that gift you gave me for my birthday. The painting was really beautiful, and your note and the scavenger hunt were so sweet. I’m sorry that I messed it up by being such an asshole that day. I don’t know why I did that. I was- just stressed or something.” She said the next part so quietly she could hardly hear herself saying it, “I don’t know why you love me.”

But Owen shifted in her lap and gently squeezed her hand, after a moment he murmured, “I’ll tell you later.”

The truck pulled into the base towards the hospital tent, the WLF was prepared from them, thanks to Manny’s radio call he was able to make. The truck slowed and stopped. 

“We’re here Owen, it’s gonna be okay now,” Abby smiling with relief, though she was still extremely stressed. She watched as the doctors came from the tent and approached the truck, she recognized Nora and Mel of course, but didn’t know the names of the other ones. A tall man with red hair and a freckled face opened the truck bed and climbed up there with them.

“We’re gonna take good care of him, okay Abby?” he said to her, and gently took her hands off of Owen. Abby had a lump in her throat as another man hopped up on the truck. A stretcher was lifted up, and Owen grunted as the men began to move him onto it.

“Abby…” he groaned as he left her lap and was put on the stretcher.

“It’s okay, Owen. I’ll come see you as soon as they fix you up.” Her fingertips grazed his arm until he was pulled away. She watched as four of the doctors carried him into the tent.

Nora came up to the truck and went over to Abby.

“He’s gonna be fine Abby, there’s not many injured on deck right now so Mel and Charlie and all our best can help him.”

“How can you say he’s gonna be fine? He got a fucking molotov thrown at him. His skin was burnt off.”

“We’re gonna do our best and-”

“Just- whatever, you can’t say the future. It was fucking bad and don’t act like it wasn’t. Fuck. I need some air.” Abby’s heart was pounding, and she was suddenly feeling very gawked at. She looked around and everyone around at base was staring at her. She got up and jumped off the car. Nora called after her but Abby kept walking up to the gate. 

“Let me out,” she demanded, and the gate operator thankfully didn’t fight her on it and opened it. Abby sped walked out of the base and down the street, just looking for a good spot to be alone.

She hurried down the street of deserted and ruined buildings, just looking to get a few blocks away from everyone. She must have gone down four blocks before finding herself a house that just looked right to her. It thankfully had been silent on her way there, no infected as the WLF regularly swept this area. The house she picked looked largely intact, and Abby pushed herself inside, finding herself just beelining for the upstairs. One opened door looked like it led to a room that had once belonged to a teenage girl. 

Abby entered it and shut the door, just standing in the middle for a minute. She felt her emotions slowly begin to bubble up as her flight response died down and she began to remember her situation.

_Fuck. This was all so fucked up. Why’d it have to be this way?_

If she’d been born 40 years earlier like the girl that had once lived in this room did, her problems would have been so trivial. Not like her now, with her parents dead, and her father’s killer destroying any sense of security she ever had. All that led her being unable to let go of the rage that it all brought her, her not being able to enjoy fully anything anymore, her boyfriend nearly dying, her never being able to truly fucking relax. 

_Joel Fucking Miller_. 

Maybe she couldn’t blame him for everything shitty in this world, but she could blame him for a hell of a lot of the shitty things that happened to her. _God_ , if she ever got her hands on that son of a bitch she was going to make him suffer. 

Abby knew she wasn’t the only one who wanted that either. Her fellow ex-Fireflies would also want to see him get his comeuppance. She knew Owen did too. Maybe he did mostly only because he knew how much Joel hurt her. It was so hard when Abby knows that Owen loves her and she felt like she could barely give any of that back. It was just so difficult to participate in superficial, leisure activities or enjoy herself when she remembered it all, when she knew that bastard was still out there probably having a grand ol’ time. 

_Goddamnit,_ what if Owen wasn’t going to recover? What if right now he was dying on the operating table and what had she done? Just ran away? 

_No_ , he was better off without her. He needed someone who could actually devote themselves to him.

Abby lashed out, grabbing objects off the girl’s dresser and throwing it. She let out a yell as she tore apart the room. _So what if Infected or Scars heard her_? She’d just kill them. In fact, it’d probably be a good way to get out her frustration.

But no one came, and Abby was left alone in the room she wrecked, breathing heavily and trying to calm herself. Eventually, she felt level-headed enough and picked herself up. She had to go back to the base and see Owen. Abby knew Isaac would want to see her too, but she wanted to avoid him right now. She didn’t need another lecture of him telling her that she was prioritizing relationships too much again and to get back out there and kill more Scars, that it was her purpose or some bullshit. Right now at least, she knew she had to get back to Owen.

Abby made it back to base and hoped she didn’t look too much of a mess, but she knew that wasn’t the case. Her clothes were all stained and her hair was halfway coming out of her braid. She decided to dip into the bathroom first, ran water over her face and arms and took out her braid. After that, Abby decided she looked less unhinged and headed toward the medical tent. Going inside, it looked mostly empty but Abby didn’t see Owen. However, she did spot Mel in the back of the tent, putting away supplies into some drawers.

Abby approached her and Mel turned, Mel had that deer-in-headlights look on her face she often wore.

“Oh! Hey, Abby.”

“Where’s Owen?”

“We just finished, he’s in a private room in the back. We dressed his burns and they’ll need changing in a few hours. We gave him some pain meds and he’s resting.”

“So he’s gonna be okay? He’s- it looked really bad.”

“He’ll definitely have some large scars, and we don’t really have the capabilities for skin grafts right now. He’s had third and second degree burns but best case scenario, after a few months of healing he should be able to use his arms properly again and be mostly healed.”

“I need to see him.”

“Well, he should probably rest-”

Abby pushed past Mel and entered the back parts of the tent where individual rooms were set up. She peeked in one and spotted Owen laying down, his chest completely bundled up, and well as his arms and neck having smaller patches on them.

Abby opened the flap and rushed towards Owen, he was awake and cracked a smile when he saw her. Abby felt her stomach leap and knelt at his bedside to grabbed his free hand. She could feel her eyes quickly well with tears.

“Hey, Abs, ” he said to her in a hushed tone.

“Hey, Goober.”

He smiled at her, looking a little loopy from the pain medicine. “This morphine rocks.” Abby laughed.

“You had me so worried,” she told him, her voice cracking and the tears falling.

“Abby,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I could never leave you like that.” He looked sad, and she wanted that to stop. She let go of his hand momentarily to grab the fold up chair in the side of the tent and set it up so she could sit next to him.

“We’re both here now,” she told him. “You should rest.” She was suddenly feeling exhaustion hit her as well. “I’ll be right here, I’m not going to leave you either.”

Abby sat there with him and eventually laid her head down near him. 

They both soon drifted to sleep, but Abby’s dreams were rarely peaceful.

She’s in a forest, with only her pistol. She can feel people watching her, but she can’t see any of them. She starts to run, and she hears screams. Abby sees a building up ahead and ducks into it. When she looks outside again, it is snowing. Abby walks deeper into the building, and she hears voices again. She looks down a hallway, and she sees a figure coming out of a room and limp towards her. She is about to shoot, but the figure collapses. Abby goes up to the body, they’re wearing a Firefly uniform. She doesn’t recognize their face but they’re almost familiar. Abby enters the room they came from and sees blood all over the walls.

Abby hears shouting, and she recognizes Owen’s voice. “Owen?” She yells. Somehow she knows her dad is going to be here too. “Dad?!” She runs down the hallway, there’s room with a glow at the end. There’s blood all down the hall and she looks to her side to see bodies piled up. She feels fear as she runs to the illuminated room. Abby throws it open and she sees her father’s body once again, and Owen is hunched over his corpse. 

“No!” Abby cries and falls to her knees. “Dad! _Owen_ …” She expects him to turn and hold her like he had once done, when he had tried to shield her from seeing her father’s body.

Owen slowly turns to her and Abby gasps. His mouth is leaking blood and his hand is holding his neck. He's been shot multiple times. Owen looks at her with empty eyes and says, “He got me, too,” before he collapses over.

Abby screams and then scrambles towards the doorway. A tall man with heavy footsteps approaches her, Abby aims her gun and tries to shoot at him, but the gun won’t go off. 

“Looks like I missed one,” says Joel Miller, aiming his rifle and pulling the trigger.

Abby jolted awake violently.

She accidentally knocks over the chair she had been sitting on. Fuck, how long was she asleep? It seemed like it was dark out. She heard Owen groan and moved from the hospital bed.

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Another nightmare?” He asked her, stirring awake.

She didn’t answer him for a minute. This is just what she did. She fucked every single thing up. It was just a cycle and she was kidding herself if she thought she was going to change.

“Yeah, it was another nightmare. Joel Miller murdered all the Fireflies in it. Or was that real life?”

“Abby…”

She couldn’t let this go. Most of the time she’d just avoid talking about this or brush it off but right now she couldn’t. She was just so finished today.

“It’s his fucking fault, you know? If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be here like this, my dad would be alive, there would be a fucking _cure_. But that selfish bastard destroyed that. I can’t let it go until he pays, okay?”

Owen was listening to her. He shut his eyes for a moment then and looked at her.

“I know this means a lot to you. I want it too. We’re in this together, Abby.”

His words should have reassured her, but for some reason it didn’t.

“Are we?” she said to him, trying hard to keep it together.

He looked hurt at that. “What do you mean?”

Abby bit her lip and just shook her head. What the fuck was she doing? Owen needed to rest and she was tormenting him about Joel Miller.

“I’m gonna go. You need to sleep- I need to, I should go.” Abby turned to leave the room.

“Abby, please don’t. Stay here, talk to me,” but she had pushed the flap open and ran directly into Mel, who must have been outside listening. Abby stared at her in shock but decided to keep walking. She was no good to talking to any of them right now.

Abby walked out in the open night, not sure where she was going to sleep tonight. Walking through the grass in the back, she found a large tree near the fence and settled down under it. 

She’d really made a mess of things, hadn’t she? Tomorrow though, she’d apologize and go on a Scar killing mission and get out her frustration. Then everything would be alright again she told herself, at least for a while.

Abby couldn’t shake the pit in her stomach though, and as she felt herself drift to sleep again, she prayed for a dreamless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, this was a long and kinda depressing one, lol. But on the bright side, I'm going to post an AU one-shots compilation soonish and it's gonna have this cute high school AU that I started in it :)  
> This fic will also have more updates in the future don't worry lol. I may even add in some extras graphics into here, if y'all know my other TLOU content you may know what I'm talking about 😉😏


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